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Family & Social Life

Donations to the Museum have preserved irreplaceable evidence about generations of ordinary Americans. Objects from the Copp household of Stonington, Connecticut, include many items used by a single family from 1740 to 1850. Other donations have brought treasured family artifacts from jewelry to prom gowns. These gifts and many others are all part of the Museum's family and social life collections.

Children's books and Sunday school lessons, tea sets and family portraits also mark the connections between members of a family and between families and the larger society. Prints, advertisements, and artifacts offer nostalgic or idealized images of family life and society in times past. And the collections include a few modern conveniences that have had profound effects on American families and social life, such as televisions, video games, and personal computers.

The model No. 47 Weeden Toy Steam Engine was produced by the Weeden Manufacturing Company of New Bedford, Massachusetts from 1898 until 1913. The toy engine consists of a horizontal brass boiler with flywheel and centrifugal flyball governor mounted on a cast iron base. The cast iron base is stamped “WEEDEN MANF. Co. No. 47”.

The Weeden Manufacturing Company was founded in New Bedford, Massachusetts by William M. Weeden in the early 1880s, originally producing a variety of tinplate household items. In 1884 it introduced the Weeden No. 1 Steam engine as “a new and great premium for boys” who were subscribers to the Youth’s Companion magazine. Weeden made over a hundred different models of toy steam engines until the company ceased operations in 1952.

This toy steam engine was made by an unknown German manufacturer during the early 20th century. The horizontal steam boiler powers a flywheel which is connected to a dynamo that can power the attached bulb. The boiler, flywheel, dynamo, and light bulb are all attached to the wooden base.

Live steam toys enjoyed a period of popularity from the 1880s until the 1930s. The miniature steam engines were marketed as both toys and instructive devices that mimicked full-scale steam-powered machines and allowed every boy and girl to be their own engineer. In toy steam engines, a heating source is introduced into the firebox below the boiler (early toys used lit wicks fueled by denatured alcohol, later toys used electricity) which heated the water to produce the steam pressure that ran the engine. A variety of accessories could be powered by the engine; attachments included windmills, pumps, grinders, and electric lights.

This toy steam engine was made by the Märklin Company around 1920. This toy steam engine consists of a vertical brass boiler that powered a flywheel, mounted on a metal plate painted green.

The Märklin Company was established in 1859 in the town of Göppingen, Germany by tin smith Theodor Friedrich Wilhelm Märklin. Märklin began his business with the production of tin doll houses, but the company soon began producing a variety of tinplate and metal items, eventually specializing in toys that included steam engines such as this one.

This toy steam engine was made by an unknown German company during the early 20th century. The toy consists of a horizontal boiler with chimney on a simulated brickwork firebox. The horizontal slide valve engine powers a flywheel with a centrifugal flyball governor. The boiler and engine are mounted on a cast iron plate.

Live steam toys enjoyed a period of popularity from the 1880s until the 1930s. The miniature steam engines were marketed as both toys and instructive devices that mimicked full-scale steam-powered machines and allowed every boy and girl to be their own engineer. In toy steam engines, a heating source is introduced into the firebox below the boiler (early toys used lit wicks fueled by denatured alcohol, later toys used electricity) which heated the water to produce the steam pressure that ran the engine. A variety of accessories could be powered by the engine; attachments included windmills, pumps, grinders, and electric lights.

This vertical toy steam engine was manufactured by an unknown German company during the early 20th century. The toy consists of a fire box, a vertical boiler with chimney, and a vertical engine attached to a flywheel all mounted on a cast iron base.

Live steam toys enjoyed a period of popularity from the 1880s until the 1930s. The miniature steam engines were marketed as both toys and instructive devices that mimicked full-scale steam-powered machines and allowed every boy and girl to be their own engineer. In toy steam engines, a heating source is introduced into the firebox below the boiler (early toys used lit wicks fueled by denatured alcohol, later toys used electricity) which heated the water to produce the steam pressure that ran the engine. A variety of accessories could be powered by the engine; attachments included windmills, pumps, grinders, and electric lights.

This horizontal toy steam engine was manufactured by an unknown German company during the early 20th century. The horizontal brass boiler with chimney sits on an iron metal firebox. The slide-valve engine is attached to a crankshaft and linked to a gearing that is connected to the flywheel. The engine has a decorative flyball governor.

Live steam toys enjoyed a period of popularity from the 1880s until the 1930s. The miniature steam engines were marketed as both toys and instructive devices that mimicked full-scale steam-powered machines and allowed every boy and girl to be their own engineer. In toy steam engines, a heating source is introduced into the firebox below the boiler (early toys used lit wicks fueled by denatured alcohol, later toys used electricity) which heated the water to produce the steam pressure that ran the engine. A variety of accessories could be powered by the engine; attachments included windmills, pumps, grinders, and electric lights.

This Märklin No. 5 toy steam engine was built by the Märklin Manufacturing Company of Göppingen, Germany during the early 20th century. This toy steam engine consists of an externally fired horizontal brass boiler on top of a simulated brick firebox and chimney. The horizontal slide valve cylinder engine drives a flywheel with slip-eccentric reversing gear. The boiler and engine are mounted on a tinplate base.

The Märklin Company was established in 1859 in the town of Göppingen, Germany by tin smith Theodor Friedrich Wilhelm Märklin. Märklin began his business with the production of tin doll houses, but the company soon began producing a variety of tinplate and metal items, eventually specializing in toys that included steam engines such as this one.

The Weeden Model No. 34 toy steam engine was produced by the Weeden Manufacturing Company of New Bedford, Massachusetts from 1896 until 1940. This toy steam engine features a brass boiler with star cutout that is painted blue. The horizontal boiler, flywheel, and engine sit on an iron frame.

The Weeden Manufacturing Company was founded in New Bedford, Massachusetts by William M. Weeden in the early 1880s, originally producing a variety of tinplate household items. In 1884 it introduced the Weeden No. 1 Steam engine as “a new and great premium for boys” who were subscribers to the Youth’s Companion magazine. Weeden made over a hundred different models of toy steam engines until the company ceased operations in 1952.

The Weeden no. 102 electric generator was produced by the Weeden Manufacturing Company of New Bedford, Massachusetts from 1913 until 1918. This was an earlier version of the model No. 102, as evidenced by the wooden base plate attached to the cast iron base. It is an electromagnetic generator, producing a direct electric current through the rotation of a wire coil in a magnetic field. The generator could be connected to the flywheel of a Weeden steam engine, rotating the center coil, turning mechanical power into electricity.

The Weeden Manufacturing Company was founded in New Bedford, Massachusetts by William M. Weeden in the early 1880s, originally producing a variety of tinplate household items. In 1884 it introduced the Weeden No. 1 Steam engine as “a new and great premium for boys” who were subscribers to the Youth’s Companion magazine. Weeden made over a hundred different models of toy steam engines until the company ceased operations in 1952.

The Weeden no. 102 electric generator was produced by the Weeden Manufacturing Company of New Bedford, Massachusetts from 1913 until 1918. This was an earlier version of the model No. 102, as evidenced by the wooden base plate attached to the cast iron base. It is an electromagnetic generator, producing a direct electric current through the rotation of a wire coil in a magnetic field. The generator could be connected to the flywheel of a Weeden steam engine, rotating the center coil, turning mechanical power into electricity.

The Weeden Manufacturing Company was founded in New Bedford, Massachusetts by William M. Weeden in the early 1880s, originally producing a variety of tinplate household items. In 1884 it introduced the Weeden No. 1 Steam engine as “a new and great premium for boys” who were subscribers to the Youth’s Companion magazine. Weeden made over a hundred different models of toy steam engines until the company ceased operations in 1952.